I birded along Piscataway Creek in Prince George's County today. I stopped at Wharf Road and then Mockley Point (along the boardwalk and adjacent fields. There was a lot of waterfowl along the river, and a substantial gull flock along the Piscataway Creek mudflats.
Wharf Road had a lot of the usual waterfowl, including both scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, Common Mergansers, a few Hooded Mergansers, Black Ducks, Bufflehead, 62 Tundra Swans, and one Horned Grebe. It was interesting that very few Ruddy Ducks were present. But, the highlight here was the gull flock, with 590 Ring-billed Gulls, 59 Herring Gulls, and one 1st winter Iceland Gull. Initially the bird was on the mudflats, then it picked at the water near the shore. I watched it for several minutes before it got up and flew around PIscataway Creek lazily, doing several loops and allowing great flight views.
Then I went to Mockley Point. I walked along the boardwalk and through the nearby fields. The highlight here was two White-winged Scoters (a male and female). I saw the two birds at the mouth of PIscataway Creek, where Piscataway Creek joins the Potomac River. The birds were swimming on the water near a channel marker between Mockley Point (where I was) and Fort Washington Park. At first, I didn't know what kind of scoter they were, but I began to get glimpses of the white secondaries as the birds preened, when they extended their wings, and later, when they flew together to the north. I got good flight views as they flew to the north, past the lighthouse and the fort and continued on to the north along the river, where I lost them in the heat shimmer. Other birds at this location included Canada Geese and Killdeer in the fields, one Red-headed Woodpecker (along the side boardwalk off the main trail/boardwalk, an American Kestrel, and a few Mallards and Black Ducks.
Fred Shaffer
<GlaucousGull...>
Crofton, Anne Arundel
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